Bhopal: B.Tech final year students stage sit-in on MANIT campus

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): About 250 final year BTech students began a sit-in on the premises of MANIT (Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology) in the city on Monday demanding that their internship should be considered sufficient.

They have also demanded that they should not be forced to clear NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning) course examination.

They alleged that they were being forced to appear in NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning) course examination. They said that they were interning with companies in different parts of the country and it was not possible for them to appear in the examination.

A student wishing anonymity told Free Press that they were offered internships in placement camps organised by MANIT. “We are now working for nine hours a day. And MANIT administration expects us to appear in six NPTEL course papers. This is impractical and unjust,” he said. They said that none of the NITs or IITs, interning students was being forced to clear NPTEL.

Currently, many of them are working from their homes. However, with Covid situation easing, they may be asked by their companies to work from offices located in different parts of the country. “How will we travel to Bhopal to appear in exams?” the students asked.

Normally, papers are held on alternate days and one paper is held every day. As per exam time table, they will have to write six papers in three days.

Students have come to the city from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Pune, Noida and other places to join the protest. “We should not be forced to clear NPTEL course to obtain degree and we should be allowed to complete internship,” students said. They are also required to deposit Rs 6,000 as fee for six papers of NPTEL. Some of the protesters have taken leave from their offices while others are working on their laptops at protest site.

The ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) activists have joined the protest. The protesters manhandled the director of the Institute NS Raghuvanshi as he left his office. State convener, ABVP, Aditya Sharma, said, that they came to know of the injustice and have joined protest. He said institute management had not invited them for talks.

“Our protest will continue till demands are met. We will stay at protest site at night, too,” he said. ABVP is also planning to hold a Sadbuddhi Hawan on Tuesday.